Planning to have some time off with your family? Uganda is the place to go. There are adventures for both the young and grown children. Here are some of the activities and places where families can visit while in Uganda;
Jinja Town
Jinja is known as the adventure hub of Uganda, but that doesn’t mean it does not have activities suitable for children. While the adults do the ziplines, bungee jumping and white water rafting, the kids can go along when you go for boat cruise, horseback riding, swimming or sightseeing at the Itanda Falls and Source of the River Nile. Ziplining at Griffins Falls Camp is also another exciting activity which teenagers will be allowed to participate so bring them along.
Further East lies Mbale Town, an interesting town striding the Mount Elgon National Park. The National Park has numerous beautiful trails for those interested in hiking and nature walks. There are hikes of varying difficulty which allow the whole family to hike together. The activity is tiresome with a few slips and falls if you are not careful but not to worry! The family will always pick/push/carry each other up and that’s why it’s perfect destination for a family.
On the boundaries of the Mount Elgon National Park, there are farming communities who engage the visitors in farming tours. The most famous one, the coffee tours, follows the journey of coffee from the time of planting to the processing, packaging and at the end of the tour you will enjoy a cup of coffee from the fields you just visited. The tours allow the family to visit and do a little farm work. Depending on the season, you will either plant, pick coffee, weed the plantation, sort the coffee or help in packaging. The team work will bound to bring the family together.
Just two hours from Mbale, the Sipi Falls is also a perfect family destination. The trail to hike the three falls takes an entire day and offers some exquisite backdrops from family portraits. The family can camp and do bonfires. In addition, the falls also have abseiling but it is not for the kids or the faint of heart as it involves hanging from a cliff face.
Have kids below 10 years old? Or are you just in the mood to travel long distances? Then Entebbe is the perfect town to visit for you and the family. Just one hour drive from the capital, Kampala, Entebbe is home to the Uganda Wildlife Education Center or the Entebbe Zoo. You will see a number of animals in the zoo at close range in a safe environment. The kids will love it. There are also a number of beach resorts where you can swim, grab a bite or drink or just relax with the family. Entebbe is also on the shores of Lake Victoria and therefore you can get boat cruises or visit the nearby islands. Noticeable among those is the Chimpanzee Sanctuary on the island of Ngamba, which is a one day tour. So no need to worry as you will be back home or the hotel by the time the sun sets.
Ssese Islands in the middle of Lake Victoria is a hot destination not only for couples but also family. Most people go for a minimum three day tour to the islands as the ferry ride there is 3 hours and happens once a day to the main island of Bugaala. Those with fear for long ferry rides can drive to the Bukakata landing site, board a 15 minute ferry to the island and drive to the Eastern part of the island where most resorts are found. Once there, the group can participate in beach games, indoor games at some hotels, beach bonfires, quad bikes, golf, canoeing and nature walks winding from palm oil plantations to natural rain forests. There are also untampered islands just a boat ride away which you should visit.
Up for a family road trip? Then you should head west to Lake Bunyonyi. An eight hour journey from the capital, one may think it’s a long journey for the children but with proper planning and sleep overs it’s the ultimate road trip. You will get to visit the Equator as you cross from the North Hemisphere to the South and probably grab a bite and lecture before going to Mbarara. The journey to Lake Bunyonyi is one of the most popular trails for travelers taking Uganda Safaris. Along the way, you may visit the Lake Mburo National Park where you can go for horseback and biking safaris, game drives, boat cruise and cultural excursions either at the park or at Igongo Cultural Center. Leave Mbarara for Lake Bunyonyi. Here, you will visit an adventure park for high ropes, zip lining across the lake, boat cruise, and cultural performances as well as camping. If however, the family are not huge fans for road trips, a chartered flight can be arranged to Kisoro and then have a two hour drive to Lake Bunyonyi.
In conclusion, Uganda has a number of idea destinations for family travel with more cropping up each year. To have the best trip, please contact a travel agent and explain your needs and budget. They will prepare the best family trip as they know all destinations and what is appropriate for the different group interests. It may also be cheaper as the package will be all inclusive as compare to when you book by yourself and are charged expensively. The whole point is you having a holiday and not having to worry about a thing.
